erit mark, all right. Nobody could have done it better, and few as
well."

After that Davy vanished from his sight. He knew that the other was
making for camp at his best speed; but as he had a difficult task, with
the way so rough, it must be a couple of hours at least before he could
expect to bring up at the tents, where the flag floated gaily from the
mast.

Turning wholly, so as to devote his full attention to the signal station
hill, Thad counted the minutes that seemed to drag so heavily.

Once or twice he thought he heard some sort of rustling sound down on
the island somewhere. He hoped that nothing was happening to Smithy; but
of course it was utterly out of the question for him to call aloud, to
inquire whether the tenderfoot scout was safe.

"He ought to be showing up soon now," Thad was muttering as he kept
watch of the smooth hilltop; "Every minute lost counts now. I hope
nothing has happened in camp to disarrange the programme I laid out."

He had hardly spoken when he started, and a pleased look came over his
anxious face; for at last there was a movement on the bald top of the
elevation, as if something might be doing.

Yes, a human figure was climbing steadily upward, now and then stopping
to make some sort of gesture to an unseen comrade at the base of the
hill, either with his arm, or one of the signal flags he carried.

Eagerly Thad watched the ascent of his chum. He knew that Allan was
carrying the precious field glasses, for he saw the sun glint from their
lens when the other stopped to take a survey.

Oh! if he would only look toward the island now; for Thad was already
waving his handkerchief up and down, and ready to make a certain signal
which had often been used as a sign of importance between himself and
this chum from Maine. Once Allan detected it, he would know instantly
that the person waving was the scout-master, and that he had news of
great importance to communicate.

But it seemed as if Allan were devoting all his attention to the other
quarter, where he doubtless anticipated seeing the second signalman
begin to tell him that the station was ready to receive messages.

Still, knowing that three of the patrol had gone that very morning to
the mysterious island, to investigate further into the strange things it
seemed to hide, it would seem that presently Allan _must_ turn his head,
and sweep the shore of the same with his glasses.

Ordinary curiosity should cause him to do